Process for the manufacture of low cost housing at the site

ABSTRACT

This discovery is an improved repetitive process, whereby structural parts (from the building product) are arranged to provide factory facilities to mass produce the building product itself. The process provides a mast (made from building parts); a 360* hoist of adequate lifting capacity; a material bucket as large as a floor (made from building parts); and improves Pat. No. 3,260,028 by providing both a horizontal and a vertical assembly line for the assembly of practically all floor supported building components from fixed stations (near ground level). The process thus provides means for making large assemblies (weighing many tons) and placing them in their final position by a single hoisting operation.

United States Patent 1 Fraser [451 July 22, 1975 PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOW COST HOUSING AT THE SITE 3,342,008 9/1967 Fty 52/745 Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Assistant Examiner-James L. Ridgill, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John R. Walker, III

57 ABSTRACT This discovery is an improved repetitive process, whereby structural parts (from the building product) are arranged to provide factory facilities to mass produce the building product itself. The process provides a mast (made from building parts); a 360 hoist of adequate lifting capacity; a material bucket as large as a floor (made from building parts); and improves Pat. No. 3,260,028 by providing both a horizontal and a vertical assembly linefor the assembly of practically all floor supported building components from fixed stations (near ground level). The process thus provides means for making large assemblies (weighing many tons) and placing 'them in their final position by a single hoisting operation.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 2 2 I975 FIG. I

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOW COST HOUSING AT THE SITE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation of my now abandoned application, Ser. No. 223,127, filed Feb. 4, 1972, for A Process For The Manufacture of Low Cost Housing At The Site.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of processes for the manufacture of low cost housing at the site.

2. Description of the Prior Art U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,028, issued to the present applicant discloses a method for constructing a building which includes among other things, constructing floors adjacent the ground and hoisting the floors into place by means of the central core of the building. US. Pat. No. 3,342,008 includes the method of making a building from modular units which have been constructed at a remote location and brought to the site on transporting tracks, where they are loaded individually onto a circular platform where they are transported circularly into correct positions, then lifted, and individually attached to the support portion. Neither of the abovementioned patents disclose or suggest the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The concept of the present invention is to provide a process for the manufacture of housing comprising the steps of:

a. constructing a core in an upstanding relationship to the ground b. providing a fixed work area including at least one fixed work station spaced radially outwardly from said core c. from said work area assembling a unitary washer type floor in concentric relationship to said core by constructing portions of said floor from said work. area and horizontally rotating the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring unconstructed areas of said floor adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor, and continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360 relationship concentrically around said core d. with said core as a support, hoisting said washer type floor to the top-most available floor position on said core, and

e. attaching said washer type floor to said core. Some of the improved results are:

A man can paint the exterior of a 50 story building standing in one place on the ground.

A hundred kitchens, or baths, or other components can be installed from a single work station at ground level.

Supporting structural floors can be assembled from one duplicated piece with greater safety. A hundred components can be assembled simultaneously more easily.

Temporary tools, supplies, equipment and constructionn facilities are substantially reduced, and assembly operations are simplified.

Waiting time for installations is practically eliminated.

In-place buildings can be expanded horizontally.

Energy carrying capacity of primary materials are increased.

Construction productivity is measurably increased.

The more space produced, the lower the assembly cost.

The economic criteria that now applies to vertical construction is overturned. It now costs less to build higher.

The process not only builds buildings, but by breaking the economic barrier for high-rise construction, makes space frames or vertical subdivisions practical.

The preferred manner in which the process may be used to accomplish the results listed above may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the following procedure specifications.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building being assembled by the process. The various stages A, B & C in the process can occur simultaneously.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating the application of leverage and distribution of forces applicable to the structure during the hoisting step in the process.

FIG. 3 is a radial section view along line A showing a washer type floor that is supported on the inside edge. Directional arrows indicate the external forces (W & H) acting on the structure, and resisting internal forces (T 8L C) acting in the material.

FIG. 4 is a radial section view along line A showing a washer type floor wherein a circular support ring 16 helps to supply the T & C forces during the hoisting step in the process.

FIG. 5 is a radial section view along line A of a washer type floor wherein the floor structure 15b supplies all of the internal T & C forces. FIG. 6 is a center section view of a building frame schematically showing how the process is used to expand a building horizontally by the addition of a washer type floor 26 and means to adjust the floor load that is transmitted to the core.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT To better understand this process, it begins with a given amount of energy in the building materials delivered to the site. Then that energy is transferred, extracted or combined with more energy to produce the final result. In this case; all the final energy that is useable remains in the materials.

To better understand the true meaning of descriptive words and phrases used herein, it is to be understood that regardless of the word selection to describe the materials; a material arrangement; or an operation; other materials, material arrangements, and operations that contain, extract, or apply a like amount of useful energy, no matter how described, or substituted, the result will be substantially the same. The words vertical and horizontal, as the descriptions are used herein, refer generally to primary directions and are not absolute directions. Forces when so described refer to the general direction of the resultant that is equal to the sum of its components. Also, when the words work area are used they are deemed to mean one or more fixed work stations.

I. THE CORE By reference to FIG. 1. The first step to constructing a housing structure is to build a foundation designed tosupport the total structure from the ground. The arrangement of the foundation should provide a satisfactory work area, but the foundation arrangement is not an important step in the new process and is not shown.

The next step is to erect a central core 11, the center of which is substantially at the center of all vertical building loads, so that eccentric loading will be avoided and all core material can carry both vertical and horizontal loads efficiently. The symmetrical arrangement helps to duplicate building components and will make the core easier to manufacture. Floor support means, such as the pin and sleeve device 12, are to be provided in the core to support the floors after the floors are positioned in their final location. This preferred core 11 is shown in FIG. 1.

Should the floors of FIG. 1 be designed to be supported by both the core 11, and other means 13 and 13a external to the core, tension members 14 will be required during assembly. The addition of members 14 do not change the operational function of the core, the floors, or the hoist means used in the process. However, the members 14 do provide a way to distribute loads within the assembled structure that can materially change the distribution of stress between the vertical support members core 11, and outer support members 13 and 1311.

Materials used in the core 11 specified for use with this process provides access to the building; provides partition walls; provides vertical support for the building; provides resistance to horizontal wind loads; and most importantly the core, (when used in the process) provides a symmetrically loaded structural mast to erect most of the remaining structure. The circular arrangement of the core materials is structurally efficient for carrying stress. The central core described above is a building component compatible with the process, and such a central core is necessary for effecting the process.

II. THE WASHER TYPE FLOOR The washer type floor, as the term is used herein, describes a horizontal support level, having an inner edge, an outer edge, and contains a tensile and a compressive band that when substantially loaded, transmits a substantially symmetrical-load weight to an inner edge support.

Where the word floor is used herein, unless defined otherwise, it is used in its broad sense meaning a support level and all components supported thereby as shown in FIG. 1, item 15. It should also be understood that the word floor as used herein may not only be a single support level, but two or more support levels that may be installed simultaneously without departing from the process or the principles that the process applies. The operational function of the floor is to provide means for the assembly and transport of components from the ground to higher levels.

To structurally distinguish between the washer type floor to be used in this process and the cantilever, a reference is made to FIG. 3.

For the cantilever, the T & C & H forces generated by load W, is transferred to an anchorage in a supporting structure. This washer type floor needs no anchorage because a washer can be supported at one edge or from one or more rings positioned within the edges. Thus the H force generated by W can be resisted by a ring of simple supports 30 as shown in FIG. 3. The T & C forces, that prevent rotation, can be internally generated within the washer itself. These T & C forces act in a radial direction and can only exist if there is both a tension band 19 and a compression band X provided by the washer itself. The washer, like a two way slab, is stressed in two directions, radially and circumferentially, each force is a component of the other.

Structurally, a washer type floor that can be used in this process may consist of an inner support ring of a diameter slightly larger than the central core diameter, and an outer support ring with simple beams as radial members. This simple arrangement will generate very little T & C force to resist rotation when eccentrically loaded. Other washer type floors, 15b, I50 and 15d of FIGS. 3 and 4, fully supportable on one edge, can also be used.

The decision to design the floor to carry all the T & C forces or to provide a temporary circular support ring (later described) for hoisting is a matter of economics and convenience that does not materially affect the total energy required to practice the process.

FIG. 1 shows a washer type floor 15 being assembled, hoisted and installed. A plurality of washer type floors shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, such as 15a, 15b, l5c or 15d, that may have variable structural characteristics, are necessary to the process. Providing a plurality of floors makes the operation repetitive.

III. ROTATION AND ANTIFRICTION MEANS The next step is to provide rotation and antifriction means whereby assembly work can be done with least handling near ground level. Antifriction means 17, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is substantially one or more circles of rollers in a horizontal plane concentric to core 11, that transfers the load weight of the floor 15, (that is to be assembled) to a support with least possible resistance to horizontal rotation. To horizontally rotate the superimposed slab 15a, a suitable power mechanism 18 as shown in FIG. 1 is to be provided, and the circular hub guide means 27 is to be provided as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The rotation means 18 provides a tangential force for rotation so that all like components can be installed from the fixed work area S comprising one or more fixed stations 51 or 52, etc., located radially to the core 11. The repetitive floor assembly work performed in this step is a major production improvement IV. CIRCULAR SUPPORT RING Refer to FIG. 4. In the event, the floor slab 15a to be hoisted is unable to provide all the internal forces T & C required for hoisting, the circular support ring 16 is to be provided. The support ring is to be designed to provide a tensile band 19a and a compressive band X to resist the transverse rotational force H & W caused by eccentric weight, wind or relatively small variations in the lifting forces H. To eliminate the inconvenience of attaching the support ring to the floor slabs, it is preferred that the hoisting means 20 be directly connected to the circular support ring. The attachment of the antifriction means 17 to the support ring is optional.

V. HOISTING After assembling the structural floor components and floor supported components on the horizontal rotation means, the next step is to hoist the floor into place. The preferred means shown in FIG. 1 and sectionally diagrammed in FIG. 2 consists of a plurality of hoist means 20 arranged symmetrically full circle around the core so that each hoist means will carry approximately the same load W. a

Multiple cables 20, and pulleys 22 together with the block and tackle arrangement 23 and hoist 24, are provided. As equal weights are lifted by means 20 and are hoisted through equal distances, the cables can be joined together and attached to the block and tackle arrangement 23 powered by hoist 24. This arrangement will provide any desired mechanical advantage. It is necessary that the floors be hoisted using the core as a mast to effect a major advantage of the process. The use of the floors, that carry most of the building components, and the core, that substitutes for structural crane masts, permits the transport of many building components in one operation These floor and core building parts perform multiple functions. A vertical assembly line for repetitive operations is created.

It can be seen that after the floor hoisting has begun, the vertical travel of the floor can be detained or the hoist speed adjusted to permit other repetitive assembly work to be accomplished from other fixed stations located at higher elevations such as station 50 of FIG. 1. This vertical assembly and hoisting operation is repetitive.

VI. FLOOR ATTACHMENT AND SUPPORT The next step involves the attachment of the floor in place. The preferred means to vertically support the floor from the core is the sleeve and pin means 12 of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 that can be installed from inside the core. The joint 25 between the floor and core is to be filled with suitable stress carrying materials, preferably cement grout, so that horizontal floor forces are transferred to the core, enabling the core to resist practically all horizontal forces coming upon the structure. This floor attachment operation is repetitive.

VII. LOAD TRANSFER In the event the floors are designed to be supported at points outside the core, such as floor a in FIG. 4, the vertical outer edge floor supports 13 or 13a of FIG. 1 are to be supported by radial outer edge floor supports 14 until all the lower vertical outer edge floor supports 13 and 13a are placed. Any part, or all vertical outer edge floor load, carried by members 13 and 13a can then be directly transferred to the ground by columns or bearing walls 28, by an expandable load adjusting means 29 (wedges) as shown in FIG. 6. The wedges are the preferred expandable load adjusting means. And for symmetrical buildings, tension member 14 and column members 13 can also act as guys to stabilize the core from horizontal wind and shock loads.

The ability to adjust the load proportions, or the permanent stress, carried by the core 11 and outer support members 13 and 13a, provides an opportunity for these members to use their energy carrying capacity more efficiently. The central core 11, prescribed for a building, is likely to contain an excess of load supporting materials.

The ability to transfer some of the vertical load carried by the outer supports to the core will reduce the amount of materials needed in the outer supports 13 and 13a. The installation of the load transfer means is repetitive.

VIII. HORIZONTAL EXPANSION FIG. 6 shows how the process is used to expand the building by repeating the total process to add washer type floors to the original structure.

The multiple lift points 20 are adapted to operate outside the structure of the original process applica tion. Using the preferred hoisting means, pulleys 220 are to be relocated and hoist members 20 are extended as shownin FIG. 6. Then, the original process is repeated.

IX. SUMMARY Having a mast (made of building parts), a washer type material bucket as large as a floor (made of building parts), and a 360 hoist of adequate lifting capacity (made of working parts only), an assembly weighing many tons can be hoisted.

The top floor (roof) is assembled, hoisted, and positioned first. The process is'repeated with the next highest floor, and so on down to the lowest floor. The major work is performed where convenient, with greater safety, and the improved process provides a horizontal assembly line in addition to the vertical assembly line for repetitive simple task operations. The symmetrical arrangement necessary to effect the process is structurally efficient and provides maximum opportunity for duplication of building parts. The more floors and components that are repetitively made and repetitively installed, the less their assembly cost.

It is understood that the type of materials used in the components, the quantities of the material used, the space quantity involved, and quality characteristics of a particular component,other than its ability to contain and transfer energy, are not an operation function or condition upon which the practice of this process depends. Only those shapes, arrangements and operations that apply the same principles to effect substantially the same energy transfers in the same time, and with the same operational skills, are relevant to the practice of the process.

The process described here, and hereby claimed, consists of the essential steps necessary to practice the process to effect the previously stated results.

I claim:

1. In a process for manufacturing housing of the type in which surrounding floors are positioned on a core from top to bottom and a fixed work area including one or more work stations is spaced radially outwardly from said core, the improvement comprising the steps of:

a. assembling from said work area a unitary washer type floor in concentric relationship to said core by constructing portions of said floor from said work area and horizontally rotating the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring unconstructed areas of said floor adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor; and

b. continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360 relationship concentrically around said core.

2. In a process for manufacturing housing of the type in which surrounding floors are positioned on a core from top to bottom and a fixed work area including at least one work station is spaced radially outwardly from said core, the improvement comprising the steps of:

a. assembling from said work area a unitary washer type floor on a rotatable circular support ring in concentric relationship around said core by constructing portions of said floor on said support ring from said work area and horizontally rotating said support ring and the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring in other portions of said support ring adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor; and

b.vcontinuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360 relationship concentrically around said core.

3. A process for manufacturing housing comprising the steps of: z

a constructing a core in an upstanding relationship to the ground V i b. providing a fixed work area including at least one fixed work station spaced radially outwardly from said core I c. from said work area assembling a unitary washer type floor in concentric relationship to said core by constructing portions of said floor from said work area and horizontally rotating the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring unconstructed areas of said floor adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor, and continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360 relationship concentrically around said core (1. with said core as a support, hoisting said washer type floor to the top-most available floor position on said core, and

e. attaching said washer type floor to said core.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the step of constructing said floor to contain a tension band and compression band.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the step of using an existing building structure as said core.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the steps of temporarily supporting at least one floor from the core by a plurality of tension members connected to the floor, and utilizing expandable means 7. A process for manufacturing housing comprising the steps of:

, a. constructing a core in an upstanding relationship I to the ground b. providing a rotatable circular support ring in concentric relationhip' around said core c. providing a fixed work area including at least one fixed work station adjacent said circular support ring d. from said work area assembling a unitary washer type floor on said circular support ring by constructing portions of said floor on said support ring from said work area and horizontally rotating said support ring and the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring other portions of said support ring adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor, and continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360 relationship concentrically around said core e. hoisting said support ring with said washer type floor vertically relative to said core, and

f. attaching said washer type floor to said core.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said process includes the step of using an existing building structure as said core.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein said process includes the steps of temporarily supporting at least one floor from the core by a plurality of tensions members connected to the floor, and utilizing expandable means to transfer at least some of this said tensile stress to the ground in compression. 

1. In a process for manufacturing housing of the type in which surrounding floors are positioned on a core from top to bottom and a fixed work area including one or more work stations is spaced radially outwardly from said core, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. assembling from said work area a unitary washer type floor in concentric relationship to said core by constructing portions of said floor from said wOrk area and horizontally rotating the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring unconstructed areas of said floor adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor; and b. continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360* relationship concentrically around said core.
 2. In a process for manufacturing housing of the type in which surrounding floors are positioned on a core from top to bottom and a fixed work area including at least one work station is spaced radially outwardly from said core, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. assembling from said work area a unitary washer type floor on a rotatable circular support ring in concentric relationship around said core by constructing portions of said floor on said support ring from said work area and horizontally rotating said support ring and the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring in other portions of said support ring adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor; and b. continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360* relationship concentrically around said core.
 3. A process for manufacturing housing comprising the steps of: a. constructing a core in an upstanding relationship to the ground b. providing a fixed work area including at least one fixed work station spaced radially outwardly from said core c. from said work area assembling a unitary washer type floor in concentric relationship to said core by constructing portions of said floor from said work area and horizontally rotating the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring unconstructed areas of said floor adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor, and continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360* relationship concentrically around said core d. with said core as a support, hoisting said washer type floor to the top-most available floor position on said core, and e. attaching said washer type floor to said core.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the step of constructing said floor to contain a tension band and compression band.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the step of using an existing building structure as said core.
 6. The process of claim 1 wherein said process includes the steps of temporarily supporting at least one floor from the core by a plurality of tension members connected to the floor, and utilizing expandable means to transfer at least some of this said tensile stress to the ground in compression.
 7. A process for manufacturing housing comprising the steps of: a. constructing a core in an upstanding relationship to the ground b. providing a rotatable circular support ring in concentric relationhip around said core c. providing a fixed work area including at least one fixed work station adjacent said circular support ring d. from said work area assembling a unitary washer type floor on said circular support ring by constructing portions of said floor on said support ring from said work area and horizontally rotating said support ring and the constructed portions of said floor around said core to bring other portions of said support ring adjacent said work area for construction of further portions of said floor, and continuing the rotation and construction until said washer type floor extends in a complete 360* relationship concentrically around said core e. hoisting said support ring with said washer type floor vertically relative to said core, and f. attaching said washer type floor to said core.
 8. The process of claim 7 wherein said process includes the step of using an existing building structure as said core.
 9. The process of claim 7 wherein said process incluDes the steps of temporarily supporting at least one floor from the core by a plurality of tensions members connected to the floor, and utilizing expandable means to transfer at least some of this said tensile stress to the ground in compression. 